Improvement in middlings-separators



l .ZSheets-Sne'etl. -C. F. KELLER. MIDDLINGSfSEPARATOR. V No.172,748.Pate-ma 1311.25., 1376.

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zsheets-sheet z'. C.F.KELLE1.. MIDDLINGs-SEPARATQR. No.172,748. PatentedJan.zs,1a7e.

N-FETERS. PROTULITHOGMPNER, WASHINGTON. D. c.

-my improved purifier.

' UNITED STATES CHAUNCY F. KELLER, OF NEVADA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OFTWO-THIRDS HIS` PATENT EEroE.

RIGHT TO G. W. AND J. L. BALLIET, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MlDDLlNGS-SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 172,748, dated January25, 1876 application filed October 5, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHAUNGY F. KELLER, of Nevada, Wyandot county, Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMiddlings-Puriliers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, makingpart of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspectiveview of Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the top, side, and endcasing-panels removed, for showing the internal arrangeparatus forseparating the flour from the middlings, and Fig. 6 is a side elevationof the brush-cylinder. y

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts of the machineWherever used.

My invention relates, first, to a novel means for 'eecting a thoroughsepara-tion of our from the middlings prior to the action of themiddlings-bolts or screens thereon; and, secondly, to a novel means forapplying currents of air to the middlings, and for controlling the forceof such currents.

The invention consists, iirst, in the combination, with a revolvingscreen or bolt, through which the middlings are passed prior to deliveryto the vibrating bolts of the middlingspurifier, of a revolving drum,composed of a series of adjustable brushes, arranged in spiral form, andmoving or rotating in an opposite `direction to the cylindricalinclosing screen or bolt, by means of which all the flour adhering tothe middlings after their passage through the liouring-bolts iseii'ectually removed, as hereinafter explained.

The invention further consists in a novel arrangement of dividedwind-trunk, with the valves for controlling the currents of air,relatively to the middlings-bolts and the conveyer, whereby the fuzz andother lightv impurities are efiectually removed from the middlings.

The invention further consists in certain Fig. 5 represents avertidetails of construction and arrangement hereinafter fullydescribed.

In the accompanying drawings, A repre sents the upright rectangularframe-work of the machine, which may be of any suitable construction, iuthe upper parts of which is represented a flour-extracting bolt, B, of aconstruction similar to that shown and described in Letters Patentgranted to me October 27, 1874, said bolt being suspended by links a a,and reciprocated by means of a crank-shaft, b, and connecting rod orlink b', and being adapted for use in small mills, or wherecomparatively small quantities of middlings are to be operated upon.

For operating upon larger quantities, or for more rapid work, acylindrical bolt, O, is employed, the shaft c of which is mounted, inthe present instance, in uprights D D1, attached to the head of themachine, and between which is secured a cylindrical casing, D2,surrounding and nclosing the bolt O.

The bolt G is mounted loosely on the shaft c, and has connected with oneof its end disks, C1, a hollow shaft, c1, surrounding the shaft c, andextending through the upright D, and rotary motion is imparted to thebolt by means of' a band-pulley, C2, on the shaft c1, from anyconvenient driving-shaft. The shaft c is also made hollow, and isslotted longitudinally upon one side, and upon said shaft, within thebolt O, two disks, d d', are mounted, one near each end of thecylindrical bolt, in radial or nearly radial slots, in which are placeda series of longitudinal brushes, e e, forming a brush-cylinder, E, theslots or grooves in one disk being in advance of those in the otherdisk, for giving the spiral or feeding relation to the brushes shown inFig. 6.

The brushes are free to move in and out in their seats or slots, fordiminishing or increasing the diameter of the brush-cylinder, being heldinward toward the shaft c by a spring or springs, c1.

For moving the brushes outward for increasing the diameter of thebrush-cylinder, the shaft q has mounted upon it two or more slidingcones or wedgeshaped pieces, f f, against which the notched or ,inclinedinner faces e2 of the brush-heads rest, the cones being connected by asleeve, f1, surrounding the hollow shaft c. A pin atj'2 passes throughthe slot in shaft c, connecting the cones with a central sliding rod, g,which is adjusted'by means ot' a screw-thread and nut, g', at its outerend, for moving the cones endwise, and thus, in connection with thespring c', adjusting the brushes as desired. The shaft c, at that endpassing through the support D, has a pulley attached, through which,from any convenient drvingshaft, rotary motion is imparted to thebrush-cylinder in a direction contrary to that given to the bolt C. Thebrushes e e are designed to move in contact with the inner surface ofthe bolt C, and the middlings being fed through an opening in the casingat a', and thence through slots or perfor-ations in the end disk C1 intothe cylindrical bolt, where, by the action ofthe brushes, the fiour iseectually removed therefrom, and passed out through the meshes of thebolt,

while the middlings are, by the spiral arrangement of the brushes, fedtoward the opposite end ot' the bolt, where they are discharged throughslots c", and are carried to the reciprocating bolt or screens, as willbe explained.

Between the uprights D D1, and underneath the casing D2, is a slottedchute-board, D3, through perforations h I1.' in which the vflour andmiddlings are conveyed to the desired points-the former through theopening or chute h to a point outside of the machine, and the middlingsthrough the opening It', which is covered by the casing-D2, exceptunderneath the slots c2, where it receives the middlings from the boltC, and which are conveyed by the chute h' to a point about midway ot`the length of the board D3, where it is discharged upon the head of themiddlingsbolt.

The longitudinal strips, forming with the end disks the supporting-trameof the bolt C, are provided with a series ot' spiral ribs or lightsf bymeans of which, as the bolt is rotated, the Hour discharged therefrom isfed back over the bottom of thecasing D2 to the dischargechute h, andthese strips or bars, as they revolve with the bolt, come in contactwith a spring or knocker, t', attached to the bolt-casing D2, which isthus made to assist in keeping the meshes of the bolt open and clean.

rlhe middlings, as they pass from the chute h', may either be directedby an inclined chuteboard, H, upon the head of the single bolt I, or, bymeans of an intermediate pivoted valve, H', any desired part thereof maybe directed upon the head of an upper bolt or bolts, l', according tothe amount of work which it is desired to accomplish.

The bolts I I' consist each of a sash or frame covered by the usualgraded boltingcloth, and are placed in a rectangular reciprocatingframe, K, one above the other, as shown. a

The frame K is suspended in the frame A by pendent links k, which aremade adjustable longitudinally ot the frame A at their upper ends, forvarying the centers of vibration, and therewith the character ordirection of movement of the bolting-t'rame, according to the wishesorjudgment ot' the attendant.

The frame K is connected by a rod or pitman, k', with a crank-shaft, K',through which the desired reciprocating movement is imparted to thebolts. Knockers of any preferred construction may be applied inconnection with the frame K or bolts, it' desired.

Where an upper bolt (or bolts) I' is employed, the middlings dischargedtherefrom are received upon a double-inclined chuteboard, L, whichextends longitudinally linderneath said upper bolt, the inclined sidesot' which discharge the middlings at the sides ot' the lower boltor sashI, and, passing down outside of said lower bolt, the middlingsA areagain deflected inward toward the center of the machine by return-chutesL' L', attached to the sides of the frame A.

Ribs or'strips Z, attached at intervals to the chutes L, serve topreserve the grading effected by the bolt. From the lower bolt I themiddlings fall directly to the double-inclined ooring. M M of themachine, and to the conveyer, located between and below .the same, themiddlings being acted upon in their descent by currents of aircommunicated thereto, and controlled as follows: At the tail end of themachine, in a suitable case or chamber, is a fan, O, driven from anyconvenient shaft, and communicating with, and receiving itsr supply ofair from, the boltingchamber, through longitudinal side trunks P,opening into the fan-chamber at the end P', and into the bolting-chamberthrough the divided longitudinal slot g. (See Fig. 3.)

The trunks P are divided horizontally into several trunks orcompartments, 19191192, 85e., each opening at the tail end into thefan-chamber, and the several compartments terminating at the oppositeends at varying points in the length ofthe slot q, thus the lower andlonger compartment 'p extending to and opening through the division q*of the slot into the forward end of the bolting-chalnber, thecompartment p1 terminating in the division g', and so on through theseries, each forming a separate wind trunk or spout, through which airis drawn from the various 'points in the -length of the bolting-chamberinto the fanchamber O'.

The several com partmen ts are provided each with an outside pivotedvalve, r r', &c., through which outside air may be admitted t0 saidtrunks or compartments for modifying the force ofthe draft or suction ofeach or all upon the bolting-chamber, or for dispensing with such draftentirely, according to the extent to which such valve or valves may beopened. At the lower end of the inclined bottom boards M M, and at thejunction thereof with the conveyer-trough M', a longitudinal slot, m, isleft, which, by preference, is divided similarly to slot q, and a seriesof adjustable valves, s s, tc., arranged underneath the wind-trunk P,admit the external air in any desired quantities, such airpassingthrough the slot m into the bolting-chamber at the bottom, and along itsentire length, whence it is drawn upward and outward in currents,intercepting the stream of middlings i'alling from the bolts, andpassing through the same it is drawn through the slots q q', &c., andthence through the divided trunks P to the fan-chamber, carrying thefuzz and other light impurities from the middlings with it, from whichpoint the impurities are conveyed to the dust room or chamber, while theheavier middlings fall through the currents of air and drop upon theinclined bottom boards M, passing thence down to the conveyer, by whichthey are discharged in any usual manner.

It will be seen that by this arrangement the currents of air are notmade to pass through lthe bolts or screens, and through the mass ofmiddlin gs thickly spread thereon, but, instead thereof, are made topass through the falling middlings after they have passed through thebolts and been lightened up and separated thereby, and, consequently,just at the time when they are most easily affected by and l operatedupon by the currents of air, and when the separation ofthe lightimpurities is effected with the greatest facility. v g

The force of the current at any particular point in the llength of thebolting-chamber is regulated by adjusting the valves 1" r s s., 86o.Thus, for example, if the strongest practicable current is desired atthe head of thebolt, the valve s is thrown open, and the valve r isclosed, forcing the entire supply to the exhaust compartment or trunk pto pass into the bolting-chamber through the aperture or slot m, andthence up and out into the trunk P.

For modifying the force Aof the current the valve r may be partiallyopened, admitting a partial supply directly from the outside into thecompartment p, thus diminishing the draft of said compartment upon the*head of the bolting-chamber; or, if need be, the valve s may be closed,and the valve r thrown open, in which case the entire supply, or nearlyso, of the compartment p of the wind-trunk will be drawn. from the outerair instead of from the bolting-chamber.

rIhis adjustment of valves may be made through the Ventire series, andupon both sides of the boltingchamber, until the required force ofcurrents is secured throughout the entire length of said chamber.

The machine described may be modified in the arrangement of some of itsparts-as, for example, the flour extractor or cylindrical bolt Gandbrush-cylinder E may be arranged in a vertical instead of in thehorizontal position shown, as the space or amount'of room in the millfor its accommodation may dictate.

`In this latter case the middlings will be fed into the bolt at theupper and out at the lower end, and in their passage through the samewill be thrown out against the bolt by the rapid rotation of thebrush-cylinder, and the adhering particles of flour thereby removed. Y

The spreader B x, appliedlto the bolt or Hourextracting screen B, whenthe latter is not in use, may be transferred to the head of the bolt Ior I 5 or a similar device may be applied, if desired, for spreading themiddlings evenly across the head of the bolt.

The adjustment of the currents of air by means-of the several series ofvalves, as eX- plained, will be governed in a great measure by theposition given to the pendent adjustable link k, and the particularmovement or throw given to the bolt-frame K, as by the adjustment ofsaid links the middlings can be made to move more or less rapidly overthe bolts, as desired, and the currents of air will require to beregulated to suit the discharge of the middlings by said bolts.

Parts of the machine not particularly described, such as the drivingmechanism or belts, may be constructed and applied in any usual orpreferred manner.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The spirally-arranged ,brushes e e, forming the brush-cylinder,provided with inclined v inner faces e2, in combination with theadjusting double cone f f, arranged and operating in connection with therevolving bolt or screen C, substantially as described.

2. The revolving bolt G a-nd brush-cylinder E, arranged at the head ofthe middlingspurier, in combination with the perforated casing-floor,discharge-chutes h h', and spiral iiights or starts on the revolvingbolt., for removing the flour and conveying the middlings to themiddlings-bolt, as described.

3. The combination, with the bolts I I, of the chutes or deflectors LL', arranged as described, whereby the middlings from the upper bolt arepassed down outside of and back underneath the lower bolt, as specified,and for the purpose set forth.

4. The wind-trunks P P, arranged at the sides of the bolting-chamberbelow the middlings bolt or screens, and provided with the severallongitudinal compartments p p1, each communicating separately with thefan and with the bolting-chambers, for directing the currents of air tothe descending middlings, after the latter have been acted upon by thebolts, as described.

5. The divided wind-trunks P, in .combination with the valves 1^ 1^ ss', &c., for controlling the'admission of air to, and the currents ofthe same through, the bolting-chamber, substntially as described.

CHAUNGY F. KELLER. Witnesses:

G. W. BURK, B. F. SMITH.

